Another Lap Around the Pond- Live from the Caribbean Princess- May 28 to June 4, 2022

[Nhsaltshaker]

22 hours ago, srice said:

Julie, add one more.  I found out from someone I met on the cruise that she tested positive a few days after she got home.  I wouldn't be surprised if there were many others.

I hope you are feeling better. 

[gerrycat]

Add two more from the same cruise. We tested positive on our return home.  We are through the worst of it.  We wore masks everywhere, and spent most of the cruise on our balcony.  Thanks everyone for sharing their experiences.  

[Coral]

37 minutes ago, gerrycat said:

Add two more from the same cruise. We tested positive on our return home.  We are through the worst of it.  We wore masks everywhere, and spent most of the cruise on our balcony.  Thanks everyone for sharing their experiences.  

So sorry to hear this. Hope you quickly recovery now.

[Coral]

Jon and Tracie - I hope you already feel LOTS better!

[srice]

1 hour ago, Nhsaltshaker said:

I hope you are feeling better. 

I am, thank you.  I tested as soon as I got home and then went on a 10-day self quarantine.  At day 6 I tested negative so I freed myself from my COVID shackles.

[azbirdmom]

On 6/15/2022 at 5:29 PM, srice said:

Julie, add one more.  I found out from someone I met on the cruise that she tested positive a few days after she got home.  I wouldn't be surprised if there were many others.

 

2 hours ago, gerrycat said:

Add two more from the same cruise. We tested positive on our return home.  We are through the worst of it.  We wore masks everywhere, and spent most of the cruise on our balcony.  Thanks everyone for sharing their experiences.  

 

Oh dear, that makes 7 known folks from our cruise who tested positive.  I sure hope everyone is feeling a lot better now.

[TracieABD]

June 17, 2022

Still Home

 

The Wrap-Up

 

Hi friends-

 

Thank you so much for all of your kind words. You have been so sweet and I have loved hearing from you. I may not get back to the past messages to respond to your comments (I am so sorry... there are a lot of comments), but I have read them all. And I appreciate every single one.

 

I promised to come back and talk a little about the quarantine process.. Firstly, we only had to do it for 2 days, so when I say it wasn't bad- it also wasn't long. YMMV

 

On our cruise, on the Caribbean Princess- once you enter quarantine- there you stay. The rooms all have these red "Hazmat"  (not really hazmat- but warnings for sure). No one is allowed to enter the room. You are not allowed to leave the room. 

 

Everything happens through the door. There is a table that creates a barrier and is used for drop off and pick up. Even when they came to test me- it was through the door. 

 

They will pretty much bring you what you ask for... sheets, pillows, towels, tissue, etc... you put the old stuff in the hall and it magically disappears. For those on longer quarantine, they have clear bags with red tape on them for laundry. There is no charge for this. We did not use this service.

 

We were told we could order any food and drink that we wanted- this included Specialty dining and alcoholic beverages. We did use Specialty dining (Sabatini's) and one round of mocktails. All of it appeared on our on board account as a charge... then at midnight before we disembarked, it all disappeared.

 

On the morning we ported at Port Everglades- we waited for the disembarking passengers to go. They come to your cabin and give you a 5 min warning and collect your luggage. You are escorted off the ship. 

 

We were loaded into a very, very crowded van that would take us to the Car Rental Center. Even though we were all masked with KN95s, if you did not have a COVID before you got on the van, I don't see how you could avoid it. It was the closest I had been to other people in a couple of years. Be prepared.

 

On the ship, there were three numbers to call:

- room service- most times there was a 20 min to 1 hour hold time

- medical center

-#6000 for guest services- including all housekeeping requests

 

A few tips for those who have to enter quarantine:

- If you decide to separate from your party- take everything that you think you will need. It is hard to get personal stuff in there... but if you need something from a passenger on the "outside"- your room steward may be able to help you get it to them.

 

- If you think you might get COVID, bring a box of GOOD Kleenex (the lotion-y kind). Their Kleenex is improved, but after a while it will tear up your nose. It is worth the luggage space. Just don't flush them. 

 

-Prepare to be a little bored. There is just not that much to do. Jon was sick and I was getting sick- we just slept a lot. It really did help us to make our world smaller.

 

- Know your contingency plan BEFORE you cruise. Be ready to enact it. We live 10-11 hours from FLL. We flew down for the cruise. Once diagnosed, we knew we could not fly home. We were given 2 choices- We could go to a quarantine hotel for 10 days- 5 days in isolation and another 5 days before we could fly. OR we could rent a car and drive home. By the time Jon tested positive, the storm was coming and suddenly there were not so many one-way rentals available. If we had thought that we might test positive, we would have made a car rez in advance and cancelled it if we did not need it. 

 

- With or without insurance, you will need to pay in advance... hotel, food, car rental, etc... Then you will chase the $ with either travel insurance or through Princess. I don't know how long it takes. We are waiting...

 

- You will get $100 per person per diem for food. This is to cover Uber Eats or Grub Hub deliveries and/or room service. 

 

- We were told to keep receipts for gas, car, incidentals. We will see what gets reimbursed. It actually was not that much, so I am not really sweating it right now.

 

- Finally, be prepared to be sick. You can wish for the best case scenario, but it might not lean in your favour. While some people have no symptoms or mild symptoms. This was not my story. I actually got sick. I could not have driven home. I am not sure what I would have done without Jon. There is a span of about a week that I just don't remember. I think I slept a lot.

 

That is so much. So I think I will cut here.

I am happy to answer questions moving forward.

 

Thank you so much for following along!

Tracie-Lynn

 

-

 

 

[srice]

1 hour ago, TracieABD said:

June 17, 2022

Still Home

 

The Wrap-Up

 

Hi friends-

 

Thank you so much for all of your kind words. You have been so sweet and I have loved hearing from you. I may not get back to the past messages to respond to your comments (I am so sorry... there are a lot of comments), but I have read them all. And I appreciate every single one.

 

I promised to come back and talk a little about the quarantine process.. Firstly, we only had to do it for 2 days, so when I say it wasn't bad- it also wasn't long. YMMV

 

On our cruise, on the Caribbean Princess- once you enter quarantine- there you stay. The rooms all have these red "Hazmat"  (not really hazmat- but warnings for sure). No one is allowed to enter the room. You are not allowed to leave the room. 

 

Everything happens through the door. There is a table that creates a barrier and is used for drop off and pick up. Even when they came to test me- it was through the door. 

 

They will pretty much bring you what you ask for... sheets, pillows, towels, tissue, etc... you put the old stuff in the hall and it magically disappears. For those on longer quarantine, they have clear bags with red tape on them for laundry. There is no charge for this. We did not use this service.

 

We were told we could order any food and drink that we wanted- this included Specialty dining and alcoholic beverages. We did use Specialty dining (Sabatini's) and one round of mocktails. All of it appeared on our on board account as a charge... then at midnight before we disembarked, it all disappeared.

 

On the morning we ported at Port Everglades- we waited for the disembarking passengers to go. They come to your cabin and give you a 5 min warning and collect your luggage. You are escorted off the ship. 

 

We were loaded into a very, very crowded van that would take us to the Car Rental Center. Even though we were all masked with KN95s, if you did not have a COVID before you got on the van, I don't see how you could avoid it. It was the closest I had been to other people in a couple of years. Be prepared.

 

On the ship, there were three numbers to call:

- room service- most times there was a 20 min to 1 hour hold time

- medical center

-#6000 for guest services- including all housekeeping requests

 

A few tips for those who have to enter quarantine:

- If you decide to separate from your party- take everything that you think you will need. It is hard to get personal stuff in there... but if you need something from a passenger on the "outside"- your room steward may be able to help you get it to them.

 

- If you think you might get COVID, bring a box of GOOD Kleenex (the lotion-y kind). Their Kleenex is improved, but after a while it will tear up your nose. It is worth the luggage space. Just don't flush them. 

 

-Prepare to be a little bored. There is just not that much to do. Jon was sick and I was getting sick- we just slept a lot. It really did help us to make our world smaller.

 

- Know your contingency plan BEFORE you cruise. Be ready to enact it. We live 10-11 hours from FLL. We flew down for the cruise. Once diagnosed, we knew we could not fly home. We were given 2 choices- We could go to a quarantine hotel for 10 days- 5 days in isolation and another 5 days before we could fly. OR we could rent a car and drive home. By the time Jon tested positive, the storm was coming and suddenly there were not so many one-way rentals available. If we had thought that we might test positive, we would have made a car rez in advance and cancelled it if we did not need it. 

 

- With or without insurance, you will need to pay in advance... hotel, food, car rental, etc... Then you will chase the $ with either travel insurance or through Princess. I don't know how long it takes. We are waiting...

 

- You will get $100 per person per diem for food. This is to cover Uber Eats or Grub Hub deliveries and/or room service. 

 

- We were told to keep receipts for gas, car, incidentals. We will see what gets reimbursed. It actually was not that much, so I am not really sweating it right now.

 

- Finally, be prepared to be sick. You can wish for the best case scenario, but it might not lean in your favour. While some people have no symptoms or mild symptoms. This was not my story. I actually got sick. I could not have driven home. I am not sure what I would have done without Jon. There is a span of about a week that I just don't remember. I think I slept a lot.

 

That is so much. So I think I will cut here.

I am happy to answer questions moving forward.

 

Thank you so much for following along!

Tracie-Lynn

 

-

 

 

Thank you for providing details of what happens in quarantine.  I have heard parts of it before and you tied it all together by filling in the gaps.  

 

 

 

[Happiest when cruising]

2 hours ago, TracieABD said:

June 17, 2022

Still Home

 

The Wrap-Up

 

Hi friends-

 

Thank you so much for all of your kind words. You have been so sweet and I have loved hearing from you. I may not get back to the past messages to respond to your comments (I am so sorry... there are a lot of comments), but I have read them all. And I appreciate every single one.

 

I promised to come back and talk a little about the quarantine process.. Firstly, we only had to do it for 2 days, so when I say it wasn't bad- it also wasn't long. YMMV

 

On our cruise, on the Caribbean Princess- once you enter quarantine- there you stay. The rooms all have these red "Hazmat"  (not really hazmat- but warnings for sure). No one is allowed to enter the room. You are not allowed to leave the room. 

 

Everything happens through the door. There is a table that creates a barrier and is used for drop off and pick up. Even when they came to test me- it was through the door. 

 

They will pretty much bring you what you ask for... sheets, pillows, towels, tissue, etc... you put the old stuff in the hall and it magically disappears. For those on longer quarantine, they have clear bags with red tape on them for laundry. There is no charge for this. We did not use this service.

 

We were told we could order any food and drink that we wanted- this included Specialty dining and alcoholic beverages. We did use Specialty dining (Sabatini's) and one round of mocktails. All of it appeared on our on board account as a charge... then at midnight before we disembarked, it all disappeared.

 

On the morning we ported at Port Everglades- we waited for the disembarking passengers to go. They come to your cabin and give you a 5 min warning and collect your luggage. You are escorted off the ship. 

 

We were loaded into a very, very crowded van that would take us to the Car Rental Center. Even though we were all masked with KN95s, if you did not have a COVID before you got on the van, I don't see how you could avoid it. It was the closest I had been to other people in a couple of years. Be prepared.

 

On the ship, there were three numbers to call:

- room service- most times there was a 20 min to 1 hour hold time

- medical center

-#6000 for guest services- including all housekeeping requests

 

A few tips for those who have to enter quarantine:

- If you decide to separate from your party- take everything that you think you will need. It is hard to get personal stuff in there... but if you need something from a passenger on the "outside"- your room steward may be able to help you get it to them.

 

- If you think you might get COVID, bring a box of GOOD Kleenex (the lotion-y kind). Their Kleenex is improved, but after a while it will tear up your nose. It is worth the luggage space. Just don't flush them. 

 

-Prepare to be a little bored. There is just not that much to do. Jon was sick and I was getting sick- we just slept a lot. It really did help us to make our world smaller.

 

- Know your contingency plan BEFORE you cruise. Be ready to enact it. We live 10-11 hours from FLL. We flew down for the cruise. Once diagnosed, we knew we could not fly home. We were given 2 choices- We could go to a quarantine hotel for 10 days- 5 days in isolation and another 5 days before we could fly. OR we could rent a car and drive home. By the time Jon tested positive, the storm was coming and suddenly there were not so many one-way rentals available. If we had thought that we might test positive, we would have made a car rez in advance and cancelled it if we did not need it. 

 

- With or without insurance, you will need to pay in advance... hotel, food, car rental, etc... Then you will chase the $ with either travel insurance or through Princess. I don't know how long it takes. We are waiting...

 

- You will get $100 per person per diem for food. This is to cover Uber Eats or Grub Hub deliveries and/or room service. 

 

- We were told to keep receipts for gas, car, incidentals. We will see what gets reimbursed. It actually was not that much, so I am not really sweating it right now.

 

- Finally, be prepared to be sick. You can wish for the best case scenario, but it might not lean in your favour. While some people have no symptoms or mild symptoms. This was not my story. I actually got sick. I could not have driven home. I am not sure what I would have done without Jon. There is a span of about a week that I just don't remember. I think I slept a lot.

 

That is so much. So I think I will cut here.

I am happy to answer questions moving forward.

 

Thank you so much for following along!

Tracie-Lynn

 

-

 

 

I read that you didn’t test positive until after you were home. Are they giving you credits for the days you spent by choice with your spouse in quarantine?

I just want to be prepared for what might happen on our next cruise, as well. I plan on asking for the Covid paperwork when we board as so many have said they didn’t receive anything upon disembarkation. 

Thanks for the tips, I hope I won’t need them, though. 

[TracieABD]

44 minutes ago, Happiest when cruising said:

I read that you didn’t test positive until after you were home. Are they giving you credits for the days you spent by choice with your spouse in quarantine?

I just want to be prepared for what might happen on our next cruise, as well. I plan on asking for the Covid paperwork when we board as so many have said they didn’t receive anything upon disembarkation. 

Thanks for the tips, I hope I won’t need them, though. 

We were told, yes, I would receive the same benefits that Jon did- as I went through the quarantine process.  Nothing has appeared in our Personalizers as of yet. 
 

As far as preload Ning for COVID- better ti have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. 

Edited June 18, 2022 by TracieABD

[Astro Flyer]

Delete…You already answered about Paxlovid in your other post. 

Hopefully neither of you will experience any longterm affects. 🙏

 

Edited June 18, 2022 by Astro Flyer

[TracieABD]

2 hours ago, srice said:

Thank you for providing details of what happens in quarantine.  I have heard parts of it before and you tied it all together by filling in the gaps.  

 

 

 

I could not imagine having stayed longer than the >2 days.  They tried hard, but there is just no way to make it fun. 
 

Steve- I am glad you made it home safely and are well on the mend.  It was nice to see you (again). 

[TracieABD]

9 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

Delete…You already answered about Paxlovid in your other post. 

Hopefully neither of you will experience any longterm affects. 🙏

 

Hey Frank-

 

I am so grateful for the anti-virals.  I cannot image what this would have been like without them. 
 

I give COVID zero stars!

 

 

[KKB]

Thx for this thorough update.

Preparing a “ COVID kit” to take along—meds, Kleenex, extra entertainment items.

I had it in Jan & was in bed for week. Insidious headache & extreme exhaustion—yours sounds much worse. So glad u r feeling better. ( DH felt like he had a cold)

[TracieABD]

16 minutes ago, KKB said:

Thx for this thorough update.

Preparing a “ COVID kit” to take along—meds, Kleenex, extra entertainment items.

I had it in Jan & was in bed for week. Insidious headache & extreme exhaustion—yours sounds much worse. So glad u r feeling better. ( DH felt like he had a cold)

Moving forward, I would not cruise without a comprehensive plan… including incidentals and an alternate way to get home/ stay.  
 

Just a thought, you might want to include Vicks, cough drops, and mint tea to your kits.  (I found mint tea to be most helpful in thick of it).